The UK's Finest Independent Forum for Shooters and Gun Owners. Est 2010.

My initial thoughts are to for approved clubs at renewal time to tell the H.O. to "go get stuffed - we don't want approval any more". Then in order to allow new members to take up the sport and shoot without possessing a FAC register as a miniature rifle club and allow prospective new members to shoot using small bore only and make them full club members at the earliest possible opportunity. When they are club members they can then apply for a FAC in their own right and even apply for centrefire if the club has access to a suitable range.

Perhaps it is for this reason that there are already suggestions that certain people in the H.O. would like to get rid of the miniature rifle club status.

You have to ask the question ,.........

What costs more in police time and resources .... the issue of a gun club licence ............

or the issue of an alcohol licence .

Another case of the goverment bean counters aiming to reduce costs / increase income. Given the countries current financial position its a process that will be repeated in many areas. No increase in a clubs financial burden is welcome.
But given the licence is valid for 6 years assuming the club is already active its only £150 a year. Surely only the smallest of clubs will find this a burden.
Clubs really have little choice but to pay any such fee ( should it come into being), any club unable to attract new potential members and give them an opportunity to try the sport will almost certainly slowly see its membership decline over time and eventually close.
Every club should respond to the consultation and voice their concerns, however there is no appetite amongst the electorate for what will be presented as public subsidy.

artiglio wrote:Another case of the goverment bean counters aiming to reduce costs / increase income. Given the countries current financial position its a process that will be repeated in many areas. No increase in a clubs financial burden is welcome.
But given the licence is valid for 6 years assuming the club is already active its only £150 a year. Surely only the smallest of clubs will find this a burden.
Clubs really have little choice but to pay any such fee ( should it come into being), any club unable to attract new potential members and give them an opportunity to try the sport will almost certainly slowly see its membership decline over time and eventually close.
Every club should respond to the consultation and voice their concerns, however there is no appetite amongst the electorate for what will be presented as public subsidy.

that is true but the payment will fall in one financial year not annually, this may be more of a problem for small clubs such as the one I belong to, we don't even have a range, so the Government don't actually have much to do to issue a licence as there is no building installation to check! so will we be charged the same as a club with an inside and outside range ?

Chapuis wrote:My initial thoughts are to for approved clubs at renewal time to tell the H.O. to "go get stuffed - we don't want approval any more". Then in order to allow new members to take up the sport and shoot without possessing a FAC register as a miniature rifle club and allow prospective new members to shoot using small bore only and make them full club members at the earliest possible opportunity. When they are club members they can then apply for a FAC in their own right and even apply for centrefire if the club has access to a suitable range.

Perhaps it is for this reason that there are already suggestions that certain people in the H.O. would like to get rid of the miniature rifle club status.

THIS

No FAC needed if you run a Miniature Range, to possess .22 rifles & .22 ammo
(Read the Firearms Act for written proof of this)

Wonder how much steam that'd generate in offices across the land?

Link sent to our committee so that we can generate a club response..

We only shoot .22, but I still think we should engage in order to show a united response. Every club in the country should submit a reply.

artiglio wrote:Surely only the smallest of clubs will find this a burden.

Small clubs make up a suprisingly high number of shooters up and down the country.

Even for a club with only 10 members , the increase represents £15/annum per member ,which if you only attend once per month is an extra £1.25. Not wishing to appear flippant, the cost of fuel, ammunition and general inflation will for many of us each add more to the cost of our shooting.
The greatest problem will be for clubs whose renewal occurs within the next 2 years or so, in which case part of many consultatin responses should be regarding ( in the event increases are approved) paymemt by installment.
Its a pitiful state of affairs where a soverign nation is unable to find 700k/ a year to pay for legislation it has drawn up, as a country if we're having to dig so far down the back of the sofa to try and balance the books, then I fear the future for us and later generations is going to grim at many levels.
It won't be long before , councils are given powers to raise council tax to cover all manner of costs or will be able to keep more fine revenue from enforcement activities, which will lead to much more enthusiastic enforcement of many rules and regulations. The squeeze on our wallets will be ever increasing from all angles.

this will kill all university / scout etc clubs as they change membership sec committee every 3 or so years.

if full cost is to be applied then why not individual fac's & sgc's? or football policing! etc

Nevermind the cost, what about the fecking principle??

".... the Government considers that the costs of the firearms licensing regime should properly be attributed to the organisations benefiting from the licence, and not the taxpayer"

Ignoring the fact that it is not the shooter, museum, dealer etc etc that benefits from the licensing regime, outside of them being a 'taxpayer'/member of the general public, if this same principle was applied to say, the fire service, surely only the people who have fires should have to pay for the service?? How do I apply for a reduction in my council tax bill as I've never had to call them?